30 great British castles

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Britain has a unique military heritage. Its castles and forts have not been
tested in war since the reign of Charles I, when hundreds were blown up by
the Parliamentary Army to avoid the need to garrison them against the
Royalists. In the 18th century, many of the ruined sites were converted into
garden ornaments, such as Helmsley or Belsay, but the strategically
important sites were retained by the military, for example at Dover and
Edinburgh.

During the inter-war years, the Government set out to acquire the best castles
in the land and put them in the care of the